By Gill Bikram Singh 
An international flight bound for London was forced to make an emergency landing after smoke suddenly filled the cabin, causing panic among passengers. As the situation escalated, the pilot immediately contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested permission for an emergency landing. Upon receiving clearance, the flight was diverted to Porto Airport in Portugal, where all passengers were safely evacuated, preventing a potential disaster.
The flight, carrying 195 people including crew members, had departed from Lisbon en route to London’s Heathrow Airport. Upon landing, emergency services, including ambulances and fire brigades, swiftly arrived on the runway. Passengers were evacuated through the emergency exit and given immediate medical assistance. Two passengers were revived through CPR, while nine others experiencing breathing difficulties were taken to the hospital for further treatment. The cause of the sudden smoke in the cabin is currently under investigation.
According to Portuguese civil defence sources, the incident occurred around 4:45 pm. Flight TAP1356 took off from Lisbon at 3:46 pm but began circling over western Spain by 4:20 pm before being redirected to Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport in Porto. The aircraft landed safely around 5:00 pm.
When the emergency landing alert was issued, police, security personnel, fire brigades, and ambulances promptly arrived on the scene. Rescue teams worked together to evacuate the passengers and clear the smoke from the aircraft. Some individuals required medical attention during the rescue operation. Due to the emergency, other incoming flights were delayed to allow the distressed plane to land first.
A spokesperson for TAP Air Portugal confirmed that the flight was diverted due to a technical issue and landed safely. Passengers will be transferred to another aircraft to continue their journey to London.